My Boys

I spent a lot of time this week thinking....

Thinking about my boys.... and how much they mean to me!
We were blessed almost 29 years ago to have a son... what a son he is! He is the funniest, most handsome (except for HIS own son!), and greatest son ever! He is happiest when he is on the back of a horse.

He LOVES to ride! He loves his family and he loves to have fun! Every year the "boys" take a pack trip to the mountains of Wyoming. These are some of those trips:

Blaine in the lead, Travis and Kolby (riding his "Buddy Seat")

Papa and our favorite grandson!

This picture cracks me up because it was staged and I busted them! We are always worried about them keeping Kolby safe on the horses and 'remind' (they call it nagging) them to put his riding helmet on. Well they made sure to take a picture of Kolby riding with his helmet on. HOWEVER, when I was looking at this cute picture, I noticed Travis holding Kolby's cowboy hat in the background! Yeah, they totally STAGED the picture to pacify the women folk!

The favorite thing to do on the pack trip besides ride horses is fish!

Check out this string from a few years ago!

And then sometimes, you just hang out in the meadow with your horse...

Then, almost 8 years ago.... we were blessed with another son! This time, I didn't have to do any of the hard work.... he came to our family through Tama! While Karlo isn't as into the horses and cowboy way of life, he does know how to have a good time! We love having Karlo in our family! He takes great care of his girls, works hard, and knows how to have fun!

Karlo's passion is on the water! He is a river rat! He loves the thrill of guiding a raft full of people through some of the most treacherous water he can find!

He keeps trying to get me to go on one of the more "wild" rides down the river, but so far, I have managed to be content to stay and take care of the little ones or meet them at the other end with the truck and trailer!

I have ridden the river with Karlo....he was nice enough to keep it in the calm waters and let me ride in the "queen seat" right in the middle of the raft!

Yep, our boys KNOW how to have a great time!!

I love you guys!

Hanging out with the sickos!!

I thought we were over this ugly flu bug for this year! I had a couple of days a couple of weeks ago where I stayed home from work so as not to infect the whole second floor! Amber was sick a few days, and we thought we were finally over it.

The Shoopman grands were sick off and on all week as well. Poor Kolby missed several days of school. No sooner did they start to feel a little better and Robin got it! Poor kids! They bounced back pretty quickly from the bug and were on the mend in no time!

Then this week, the bug hit the Stucki household and hit it hard! Kallie had a cough off and on since she was here in December but it didn't seem to be too bad so her parents weren't too worried about it until last Friday. Poor Kallie was coughing all day and then came down with a fever in the evening. It spiked up to about 104 before they finally got it to come down. Then she did the same thing the next day and her cough just kept getting worse. So, Sunday mommy and daddy decided she needed to be seen by a doctor. The dr. they saw at the urgent care was not too great! Karlo said he came in for maybe three minutes and checked her, not very thoroughly, and said she had a bad ear infection and needs antibiotic to clear it up. He didn't know any of Kallie's extensive medical history and didn't bother to ask or give her parents the time to express any of their concerns!

This is Kallie on the way to that doctor's appointment. What a miserable little girl!

Tama and Karlo had several nights of staying up all night with a coughing toddler who couldn't catch her breath! Then they decided that Kallie should see her regular pediatrician on Monday. By that time Abbie and Mommy were sick too but not as bad as Kallie. So Abbie and Kallie and Tama all went to see Dr. Lee and we're so grateful for her. She is the most awesome doctor we could ever ask for to care for Kallie! She confirmed that Kallie's ear tubes have fallen out and her ears are both infected. She also checked her oxygen saturation level and listened to her lungs. The verdict is that Kallie has RSV and pneumonia in one lung! She was one sick little princess! There is a vaccine called Synagis that protects against RSV but it is very expensive and only recommended for preemies and baby's with heart and lung conditions and is generally only given for the first year or two. Kallie had these shots every month for the first two winters of her life and then the doctors decided that she was healthy enough and big enough not to need them this year. Apparently they were wrong! Luckily they have a nebulizer machine at home (thanks aunt Weezie! ) and we've been doing the breathing treatments and other medications this week. She has been getting a lot better which is wonderful. We'll just keep treating and praying that she gets past this.

The doctor gave her a cute little dinosaur mask, but she still doesn't necessarily like the treatments. You have to sing to her the whole time so she will be still and let the medicine flow.

Abbie and Tama just kept getting sicker and sicker. Abbie stayed home from school for 3 days and went back yesterday for her valentine's party! We had a lot of fun making valentines for her teachers and classmates. Here she is just resting which is a very rare sight!

Tuesday was the worst day and things were spiraling out of control at the Stucki house. So after worrying all day, and with a semi-gentle push from my boss and friend at work, I hopped on a plane and came to take care of the sickos! They had no idea I was coming until I called Karlo and asked him to unlock the front door! I forget how much time and effort it takes to take care of a house, along with two little sickos and one big sicko! No wonder people have kids when they are young!

I've been able to keep up with work somewhat! Thanks to the Internet! I'm sure they could have survived but I know we all felt a lot better with Grandma here to help out!

Of course there are some funny stories to tell. Kallie spent most of one day telling on me for one thing or another. "Mommy, tell Gwandma to stop it" "Mommy, Gwandma is being naughty" and it goes on and on. Today, I am back to being her favorite.

Then we have miss Abbie!! The other night, we were all eating dinner when out of the blue, Abbie says, "How in the HELL-0 are we going to land this plane" Uhmmm.... her dad looked at her with big eyes and asked her where she heard such a thing... mommy was in a drug induced haze and didn't really catch on to what was going on, and grandma had to turn her head to hide the laughter and to keep milk from shooting out her nose! Turns out she was quoting a line from the new Madagascar II movie they got from Grandma! Oooppsies! After some explanation from Daddy about why we don't say things like that, all is well until the next time!

Finally, today the girls are both feeling pretty well. Kallie still has a cough, but not as bad and she hasn't had a fever for a few days! She's still getting breathing treatments so I'm sure that is helping her as well.

Last night we had the added drama of Abbie losing her first tooth!! It's been quite loose for a couple of weeks, but she was scared to have it fall out. She was certain she wouldn't be able to eat if it fell out! We tried to tell her that Kolby was missing SEVEN teeth all at once and he could still eat, but she didn't seem to take much comfort in that! Last night, she was showing it to her dad and wiggling it and Karlo just got a tissue and pulled it out. There was much crying, disbelief and drama! Once grandma showed her how to put the straw in her new window in her row of teeth and drink her chocolate milk without opening her mouth, she decided having a missing tooth wasn't too bad afterall!

Until next time keep your face to the sunshine and bloom where you are planted!

Happy 3RD Birthday, Taylor Maddison!!

Yesterday was our sweet Taylor's THIRD birthday! Grandma was home sick yesterday and spent the day sleeping and didn't get the birthday post done so am doing it today! But that's how I roll.... a day late and a dollar short!

February 3, 2006, was a beautiful day! Robin went to the doctor, got checked out and they told her to go to the hospital because it was time for the babe to make her appearance! Robin called Travis who was at work and told him it was time to go to the hospital so they decided he would meet her there. Well, unknown to Travis, Robin decided she should stop and get a burger since they wouldn't be feeding her for a few hours! So, Travis shows up at the hospital and his wife is nowhere to be found!

Can you imagine.... here comes this cowboy running in to the hospital looking for his wife who is about to give birth and them wondering where he left her since she isn't there?!?! HAHA! Robin finally showed up and a few hours later, our beautiful Taylor Maddison made her grand appearance!

She was the first of our grandchildren to be born with a little bit of hair! We were so excited! Kolby, Abbie and Baylee were the baldest babies when they were born!

Taylor is a beautiful little girl! We call her our 'little Greek throwback'... she isn't as fair as her siblings, she has the olive complexion and hazel eyes of her great grandmother.

Taylor has always been the happiest little girl! She smiles ALL the time! She loves to tease her brother and sister! As soon as she learned to walk, she learned how to grab whatever they were playing with and run as fast as she could! Laughing all the way!

Our Taylor is also a complex little girl. One minute she will be fine with something and the next, she will be scared to death of it! The first time we took her swimming, she LOVED the water! The next time, she was scared to death and had a death grip on her mom's neck the entire time! This summer, grandma got her a 'magic' pool and she has gotten over her fear for the most part. She even played in the baby pool in Thermopolis over Thanksgiving!

Taylor isn't too crazy about riding horses either, so her mom is pretty excited that she may have a girly girl to play dress up and make up with since Baylee is all about riding horses and hanging out at the barn with her dad! Don't get me wrong, Taylor has her daddy wrapped very tightly around her little finger too! All she has to do is give him one of her smiles and his heart just melts! Taylor has her Papa wrapped pretty firmly around her other little finger too!

We love you, Taylor babe and are so glad you are in our family!!

Grandma's Gone Computer!

A friend sent this to me and said it reminded her of me. I don't understand why, but maybe you will ;-)

~ Grandma's Gone Computer ~

In the not too distant past

--I remember very well--

Grandmas tended to their knitting,

and their cookies were just swell.

They were always at the ready,

when you needed some advice.

And their sewing (I can tell you)

was available--and nice.

Well, Grandma's not deserted you,

she dearly loves you still.

You just won't find her cooking,

but she's right there at the till.

She thinks about you daily--

you haven't been forsook.

Your photos are quite handy,

in the Pentium notebook.

She scans your art work now though,

and combines it with cool sounds,

to make electronic greetings.

She prints pictures by the pound.

She's right there when you need her,

you really aren't alone,

She's out now with her "'puter pals,"

but she took her new cell phone.

You can also leave a message

on her answering machine;

or page her at the swap meet;

She's been there since eight fifteen.

Yes, the world's a very different place,

there is no doubt of that.

So "E" her from her web page,

or join her in a chat.

She's joined the electronic age,

and it really seems to suit her.

So don't expect the same old gal,

cause Grandma's gone "Computer"

~Author Unkown

Just Take a Deep Breath! This Too Shall Pass!

Sheesh! The past few weeks, I have felt like there is tragedy all around me. There are just so many horrible things happening to people I love. But with those tragedies comes a greater testimony. I have felt the spirit so strong lately, I feel like I have been blessed to watch the ones I love go through these hard times and witness their faith grow. Most of them handle things very well and, hearing their testimonies of prayer and faith has built mine up and made it much stronger. I pray for them every day and am reminded how precious this life is. I treasure EVERY MINUTE I get to spend with my family. I love seeing their smiles, hearing their laughter, drying their tears, feeling their hugs.

I think I am becoming more tolerant (yes, even I can become more tolerant), I find myself stopping to think more before I say things in my out loud voice. I LOVE the little everyday texts I get from Tama and Robin. Just a quick funny of something the kids said or did...or a quick I love you today. And the pictures of my grands....THOSE make my day! I love EVERYTHING they tell me. Some of the 'better' ones lately have been Baylee insisting that boobs are elbows. She refuses to call them boobs. She will only refer to them as elbows. That girl is going to have some issues in anatomy class I fear! She asked her dad if he had elbows and he thought she was talking about ELBOWS so he said yes, he has elbows. Then after Robin explained to him what 'elbows' are in Baylee's world, he informed her he does not have ELBOWS. Way to confuse the child!!

Then we have Abbie... oh my goodness that girl is a crack up! While her mom was putting her to bed the other night, she wanted to know why she and daddy didn't have to go to bed yet. Tama told her because we are grown ups. So Abbie said, well why do grown ups get to stay up later. What do you do anyway, just play games like checkers? So needless to say...there is a lot of giggling when someone mentions playing checkers these days! I know...immature... but oh well. Welcome to my world...

Our Kolby man has finally gotten over the bug! He has returned to school and his mom is so happy! He is a lot like his dad in that he LOVES to tease his sisters until they are furious and he just laughs. What a stinker he can be! He is feeling better and even woke his mom up early the other day and told her he was sorry to wake her, but he was really hungry and could she get up and cook him some bacon and eggs. He is his father's child!

Taylor has been enjoying dance class with Baylee. She is a little wild and doesn't really seem to care about doing the right moves...Taylor dances to her own beat!

Kallie has given up on potty training and just doesn't seem to grasp the concept. Poor girl. The other day she was standing next to her mom and all of the sudden her soggy little pull up just fell to the floor! I can imagine the look on her little face! She has no behind to hold it up! An issue I certainly wish I had to deal with!

So not only are my grands all precious and perfect, but with their innocence and purity they are a constant reminder to me of what we all know we need to be doing. I have been way too busy lately and I haven't taken the time I know I need to take to do the things I really NEED to do. I've been turning on the hymns more and listening to the TV less. I've been playing the Children's Songbook CD in my truck every day. I've been listening to conference talks online instead of just 'surfing'. It is overwhelming how strong the spirit is when you invite it to be there with you. I am so SO thankful for my testimony and faith! I am thankful for the comfort from and knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. I know we can get through anything if we have FAITH. I love my family so much. My hubby is truly the love of my life and I am amazed that he has put up with me for almost THIRTY years now! Who'd a thunk it?? I would do anything for him. There is also nothing that I would not do for my kids and grands! Nothing makes me happier than to spend time with them! I am so thankful for all of my blessings BIG or small they all count! I am also thankful for our trials and challenges, they make the blessings stand out that much more! I want us each to try a little harder, pray a little more often, look for the blessings, seek out the miracles. Start TODAY. .. and don't forget to keep your face to the sunshine and bloom where you are planted!

GO

CARDINALS!!

SUPER BOWL 2009!!

Updating and Grandma Ramblings

This has been a very strange couple of weeks. We thoroughly enjoyed having our kids and grand kids here for the holidays and I have been almost in a depressed funk since they left. I miss them every day! I have also been sick since they left. I'm not sure who left the germs, or if they caught them here, but almost all of us have been sick since the holidays. Poor Kolby went as far as having strep and making a trip to the doc to get it taken care of. He is still not feeling too great. My poor little buddy! Then of course, we had Kallie's little excursion to the ER while she was here. She wasn't feeling too perky once they got home either, but is now on the mend and doing well. I ended up giving in and going to the doc to get drugs to help me kick it. What a wimpy grandma I have become!

We found out this week that Blaine's horse is not going to gift us with a foal this year after all. Maybe some other time...

We also had some sad news from my niece in Wyoming. She had her little baby, Kaden James on Christmas day and he came almost three months early. He put up a valiant fight for almost a month, but sadly lost his short little battle on Friday and returned to his heavenly home. I guess he just needed to come get his body and return to our Father to do His work. We look forward to meeting him someday. We are all praying for comfort and understanding for his mom, aunt, grandmas and grandpa.

There was other sad news this week and plenty to worry and stress about, but that is enough of the downer news! On to the happy stuff!

Today we enjoyed having Wade and Stephanie and McKenna and Bryce out for dinner. we were able to have a good visit and Bryce cracked us up by coming out of the toy room wearing one of the tutus...and only his spiderman underwear! Quite the sight! I couldn't help but take a couple of pictures of him, but Steph told me I wouldn't be her favorite auntie any more if they ended up on the internet. So, take my word for it, they are CUTE!

The Shoopman girls have been dancing like crazy this week. We got several cute videos of them dancing. Baylee does a very good job and Taylor....well, Taylor has a good time! Baylee was trying to teach her some moves today and Taylor wasn't getting it, so Baylee told her she was a baby because she just can't listen! So funny.

Abbie called Papa this week to tell him that her mom had left her and Kallie in the car and was in the store. Note that Tama was within eyesight at all times, only gone for like two minutes and locked the car and took the keys AND left Abbie with the phone in case she got scared. Well, Abbie decided to take the opportunity to call Papa and tell on her mom!

I am no longer surprised by anything our grands do or say! The sky's the limit! This week Tama had a very moving experience where the Holy Ghost prompted her and she was blessed for listening to the spirit and was teaching her family about the Holy Ghost during FHE and how he is always with us like a friend. Well, as she was in the middle of her lesson, Kallie stops her and tells her that she has a "fwiend ghost named tewi and she jumps out and says BOO!" Tama said that finished the lesson and they moved on to refreshments!

Sorry no pictures today, but I got a new portable hard drive and pulled all the pictures off my computer and, frankly.... I am just too lazy right now to get up and get it out of the office.

Until next time...keep your face to the sun and bloom where you are planted!!

Family Pictures 2008

Since we became grandparents, we attempt to get family pictures taken on a redgular basis. The first year was easy! It was just Kolby and Abbie. Abbie was sleeping in all the pics and Kolby was cute as ever! We didn't manage to get any when Baylee was the baby, but got some cute ones of each group separately.











Once Taylor and Kallie came along, we've made the attempt each year. Each year it seems there is one grand that is not happy to be doing pictures. This year it was Taylor's turn and she was not happy at all!
We did manage to get a couple of 'whole family' shots before her melt down, but after that, the photo shoot was toast.

So we tried with just the three older kids...

They did great! But, Taylor was still upset...so we did a couple of the Stucki girls....

Then we thought she might jump in with the other four....

Her daddy even tried coaxing her into the picture.... Kallie wondered what was wrong with Taylor, Kolby looked bored, Baylee looked amused, and Abbie just looked like a deer in the headlights...

So we took what we could get and called it a day....

There's always next year.... (right?)